


Drug of Choice

by abeautifuldayaway



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Drug Use, F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 04:41:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20076301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abeautifuldayaway/pseuds/abeautifuldayaway
Summary: Gendry fell in love at a young age with the way drugs could cure his problems. Being abandoned did not matter to him when he could easily find a drug that could enable him to forget how alone he is. Despite becoming clean from those dangerous days, Gendry found a new drug of choice. A woman with untamed dark hair and charcoal eyes.Gendry and Jon are the cooks for the Stark Meth organization. A new distributor begins working her way through the business, and into a certain cook's heart.





	1. Chapter 1

The day Gendry doesn’t wake up to the hovering smell of chemicals on his own skin will be the day he surely dies of shock. Being in the game long enough has made him accustomed to the faint smell. Innocents wouldn’t recognize the smell or give it a second thought while walking by him. However, the smell is his personal daily reminder that Gendry’s life fucking_ sucks_.

The film of dust coating his window doesn’t prevent the morning sun from waking him and signalling the start of his day. A quick glance at the alarm clock glaring at him tells him it is almost ten. Jon would probably be halfway to the lab already, whereas Gendry continues to lay and contemplate if he is truly needed to work that day.

The question was rhetoric, of course. Jon and Gendry are the only cooks in their operation run by Ned Stark, Jon’s father. Gendry met the Stark Kingpin as he was in the darkest part of his life. Gendry had a rough childhood, to say the least; his father left when Gendry could hardly walk and his mother died young. Gendry unraveled in dangerous ways through his depression. Drugs came in handy and helped him in ways therapy could not. School did not matter to the young man. He had learned everything he needed about the world through his own troubles. The world was shit and everyone is out for themselves.

A particular overdose on cocaine landed Gendry in the Stark’s life. Theon, one of Ned’s distributors, had found Gendry on the side of the street sweating and shivering in the summer heat. He was brought back to Ned’s house where he stayed for a week becoming clean. He would have been suspicious of the unknown man but was soon faced with the bitter reality that he had no one else in his life that could help.

His withdrawals were painful and he felt ready to use again any second. Ned prevented his relapse by staying by his side everyday. Gendry found it unusual that Ned had so much knowledge on the removal of withdrawal symptoms. Gendry suspected Ned was a user himself until he was told of his job as a Meth Kingpin. He had wondered at the time what it took to become the leader of such a dangerous organization, but decided he respected Ned too much to learn of the acts he had done to get where he was.

When Ned had been made aware of how abnormally smart Gendry was when it came to the manufacturing of drugs he made the choice to promote him to being the second cook. Gendry was skeptical of Ned; he was gradually becoming clean and was now asked to rejoin the drug world. However, Gendry hasn’t used since he began cooking a year and a half previous.

At the time, Gendry presumed the Stark family had not known about Ned’s double life. He had told Gendry his family was away at the time and he would not have to encounter Gendry during this tough time. Once he began cooking with Jon, however, he learned that the whole family was involved in a way. Catelyn made executive decisions with Ned while the oldest son, Robb, handled the money earned. The two daughters were not apart of the organization for their own reasons unknown to Gendry, along with the youngest of the family, Bran.

The shrill ringing of his cellphone wakes Gendry from the stupor he fell into after waking. “Hello,” Gendry answers knowing it could only be someone from the organization. Gendry has no one else to call him besides those he works with.

“Hey, will you be here soon? The order is due by the end of Sunday and we still have twenty pounds left,” Jon’s deep voice replies. He sounds as tired as Gendry feels.

Gendry sighs into the phone. “Yeah, I’ll leave soon. Is Pod picking up today?” Ned’s hired distributors are Theon and Podrick. Theon has been friends with Robb since they were young, and Podrick worked for a rival organization, the Lannisters, before deciding to switch to the Starks. The transition happened years before Gendry has joined their ranks, therefore he did not know the obstacles he had to undergo in order to show his devoted loyalty to the Starks.

“Theon and Pod both are. They are training our new distributor on the operation and how to sell the product in mass amounts.” The news has Gendry pause will putting on his pants.

“New distributor? Who?” Ned does not trust many people besides those who already work for him. Usually rumors will spread around before someone new is hired in order for all of the members to approve of the new hire.

“My sister, Arya. I have no fucking clue how this is going to turn out.” The bitterness of the situation seeps through Jon’s voice and he exhales. “I don’t know, man. I don’t like the idea of her doing it, but she knows her shit somehow. Our family will protect her.” Gendry does not know much of the youngest Stark sister. He does know, however, that Jon held her close to his heart. Gendry begins to realize why Jon has been so solemn all week.

Not knowing what else to say, Gendry makes a humming sound into the phone. “I’m getting ready now. I’ll see you soon.” Gendry ends the call and runs his hands through his already messy hair, and finds himself staring at the dreary white of his apartment wall.

He still smells the chemicals on his skin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, an awkward first meeting.

Arya finds herself often imagining a life where she isn’t surrounded by meth heads all the time. She wouldn’t change her life for another; however, she does wish she did not have to worry for her family’s safety every minute. 

It is with this thought that she sits in the passenger seat of Podrick’s car driving to the lab where her father had created a name for himself. It took a tremendous deal of convincing to let her Dad join their ranks. She, along with Ned, knows she is small and easily underestimated by others. These assumptions are a strength when it comes to the drug world. Those that underestimate others in the game are the ones that die first.

She isn’t new to the game. She’s been a player since she became fifteen and taken under the wing by Jaqen, her boyfriend at the time. 

She had not known his history or how he became a competitive player in the world of meth dealing. She only knew that he made her feel alive in ways she had never felt before. 

Arya thought he was an enigma. He was mysterious and gorgeous with his flowing hair and piercing eyes. She knew he was different from the others, and he made her believe that she too could be different. Being “different” came with a cost; scars that will be left on her body for years to come.

After her time with Jaqen, Arya left for several months. She betrayed her family through her decisions with Jaqen. She had done unthinkable acts and could not face her family until she recovered. 

When Arya came back from Braavos a new person, Ned had faced countless amounts of pleading from Arya for her to join the organization. She was confident she could convince anyone to buy their product. She promised him she wouldn’t interfere with those she shouldn’t, such as starting fights with the Lannisters or get in messy situations. Ned knew she could have a loud mouth and an even larger ego when defending her family name. After months of protest and hard  _ No’s _ , Ned caved into Arya and begrudgingly said she could join their ranks.

“You good?” Pod questions her faraway gaze. Arya focuses on the passing houses instead.

“Yeah, just thinking.” Podrick has been a family friend for years. He became friends with Jon and Robb after going to college with the latter for the mere two years they attended. Before Arya knew of the business her family was in she had thought Pod was her brother’s cute friend. Now she knows of him as the best dealer in their organization. 

“I know Jon has been giving you a hard time about this… decision, but just know I think you are the right person for the job. Your cuteness,” Arya cuts a hard glare towards him, “-can be seen as a weakness. These guys have no clue what’s going to hit them.”

She knows he is right. Arya plans on knocking these grown men off their feet. Jon has no clue what she has been through, especially with Jaqen, and doesn’t realize there are worse people in the world than meth heads. 

She cannot help but feel nervous upon arriving to the lab disguised as a car wash. The  _ Stark Car Wash _ signs peeling yellow paint and red obnoxious lights feels oddly ironic with the rundown employees working at the establishment. The money made is disguised as “car wash sales”. It confuses Arya to no end that people could be that fucking stupid to think her family makes two million dollars a year from a car wash. Their stupidity pays off in the end, however, and ultimately keeps the organization running.

Pod exits the car without another word and walks into the car wash. The employees hardly give them a second glance. The familiar door that holds a barrier to her family’s secrets stares back at her upon entering the building. Without a second thought, Arya grabs the keys from Pod’s hands and unlocks the door. 

Despite knowing all about her family’s secret, Arya has never step foot into the lab before. Her Father always claimed it isn’t for her eyes. She smirks at the thought of that argument now.

A long stairwell leads down to the hard concrete floor. The air is significantly colder compared to the mild temperature outside and is contaminated with the smell of chemicals. She vaguely recognizes the smell as the smell Jon carries around with him.

Metal bins holding chemicals display her reflection as she looks down upon them. There has to be at least twenty bins in different shapes and sizes. Each holding different chemicals. Across the room sits a work space with a single desk lamp and multiple pairs of goggles haphazardly thrown down. Lockers holding male clothes are open to view.

Arya can see Jon’s mop of brown hair even through his labsuit. She knocks her knuckles against one of the metal cylinders to receive his attention. As expected, it works. His eyes are on her for less than a second when he creases his eyebrows. Arya knows Jon just about as much as she knows herself. In this moment, Arya knows Jon would rather die than allow her to work in this environment. She decides that his overprotective nature is going to be a constant in this new adventure.

“Should I have brought my own personal lab coat to come down the stairs?” Arya attempts to lighten the situation. If the barely restrained eye roll is any indication; it didn’t work.

“I didn’t think you were coming this early,” Jon replies, ignoring the joke.

Arya does not answer and continues walking down the stairs. She hears Podrick’s heavier footsteps following her.

After she is fully in the room, she notices the other man working alongside Jon. While Jon has stopped working completely in order to talk to Arya, the unknown man continues to fill the large metal containers with a powder substance. Arya decides to ignore him.

Besides her family, Arya knows she struggles with getting along with others. Ever since she was young she found no interest in making friends. She had Jon and Sansa (sometimes) and Robb and Bran. Anyone else was unnecessary. She has planned to keep the same mentality as she began her new job. It is a dangerous business and even more dangerous to befriend those that could get shot to death in a matter of seconds. With a rude personality and a lack of friends; she will not get hurt.

Jon takes off his mask and wipes a bead of sweat from his brow. In this light he looks older and more grim. Perhaps it is just the sheer reality that he makes meth for a living changing him.

“Who do you have today?” Jon directs towards Pod. 

Pod rubs the stubble on his chin. He still looks like a child playing a big game regardless of the facial hair. “McCurry on 15th has been complaining about the price increase, but he won’t say no considering he can’t find another dealer in town. Customer on the Lower East end got busted the other day and is in jail now.”

“Did they find our product in the house?” Jon says with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah. She smoked all of it. Probably didn’t even realize it. Crazy bitch called the cops on herself while she was off her shits. How high do you have to be to call the cops on yourself?” Pod shakes his head in disbelief. The darkness of the situation leaves Arya frowning. If she would have heard a story like that two years ago she would have felt sick to her stomach. She finds herself feeling indifferent now. She isn’t sure which is worse.

Jon hums absentmindedly. A loud sound coming from the machine the other man is working on seemingly reminds Jon there is another man in the room. 

“Arya, this is Gendry. Gendry, this is my sister, Arya.” Gendry strides over to the group and takes off his mask. His black hair sticks to his forehead and his eyes are a deep blue. They share a similar coldness that Arya finds in her own eyes often. She frowns and points her chin up.

“Jon has told me a lot about you,” Gendry points out. Arya immediately feels annoyance run through her system. Knowing Jon, he probably made it seem as if Arya is a cute, little girl. He would not boost about her strength to a man that does not know her when Jon held many doubts about her himself. “Seems like a scary job for someone like you.”

Arya’s eyes narrow. Now she definitely knows Jon made her seem like an innocent girl. “I’ve done things you couldn’t even think of doing.” Killing people, for instance. “I’m sure I can handle a job like this”

“I tend to forget rich girls do have a harder life than most lower people. Sorry for the assumption,” Gendry bites back. Arya opens her mouth to begin a fight before Jon interrupts.

“We have to get back to work,” Jon looks from Arya and Gendry to Podrick. “Why don’t you show Arya around the neighborhoods and where the best places to sell are. We’ll meet at my place later to talk about her role.”

Pod, excited to get away from the awkward tension, nods and turns to leave. Arya glances once more at Jon and leaves one lasting glare towards Gendry, which he returns immediately.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Short first chapter :) Let me know how you guys like it!


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